Why Entrepreneurs Are Struggling — And What You Can Do

As the directors of Disruptt and Shift respectively, we’ve both spent years not only working as entrepreneurs, but working with entrepreneurs as well. We understand that although the startup life is exciting, it’s also tough, and the one thing we never stop hearing is that in this world, where stress is ever-mounting and people put everything they have on the line, mental health is a major issue.

These concerns aren’t trivial, the stats back them up. In a study conducted by Dr. Michael Freeman of the University of California in San Francisco, 72% of the surveyed entrepreneurs reported mental health concerns. Of those same entrepreneurs, 30% reported depression as their main mental health issue. In comparison to the 7% of general U.S. society, this is staggering.

Although founders are looking to support their teams and build a culture of mental wellness in the workplace, it’s hard. Employees of startups often find the topic of mental health to be a kind of taboo. In the Atlantic‘s article “Tech Has a Depression Problem” Dana Severson, co-founder of Wahooly, admits to hiding debilitating bouts of anxiety from his co-workers, “There’s a lot of money at stake in this world—it’s not only the investors that you need the confidence of, it’s also your co-founders and employees,” he says. “I couldn’t allow them to have any sort of doubt in my ability to perform.”

Entrepreneurs are in need of a safe place to voice their concerns and their struggles. That’s why Disruptt and Shift are coming together to custom create a series of workshops for entrepreneurs and startup companies who are looking to better the mental health of their team. They’re intended to boost happiness, performance and retention.

We’ve lived the entrepreneurial life. We understand the stresses, the battles and the hardships. But we also know the solutions. Shift’s client base mainly consists of entrepreneurs and creatives as does Disruptt’s roster. It’s our job to support them and help them grow, and now we want to do the same for your team.

Today we’re thrilled to be launching 5 unique and customizable workshops that are aimed at improving the mental wellness of your startup team. Click here to check them out!